Whether souped-up bubblegum pop is your thing or not, it's hard not to be impressed by the Barbadian singer's dazzling, big-budget live show, which burst into town Tuesday night.

A crowd of about 12,000 mostly high-pitched teenage girls took in Rihanna's Last Girl On Earth tour at the Saddledome. And seeing as the decibels remained high throughout the 90-minute concert, it seems very few went away disappointed.

Why would they? Rihanna gave them everything they've come to expect from a chart-topping superstar - hit singles, sexy dance routines, laser-light show, slick set design and costumes that wouldn't look out of place in Lady Gaga's closet.

The 22-year-old appeared quite dramatically - and rather elegantly - on a pedestal which glided forward from the back of the stage.

The din grew even louder when she removed her first outfit to reveal a much skimpier costume for the second song of the night, Hard.

Rihanna then straddled a bright pink army tank that matched her dancers' bright pink machine guns. As far as concert themes and imagery goes, this one was pretty weak and perhaps a tad insulting to those who have actually served in the army.

One lucky fan got the thrill of her young life when RiRi grabbed her out of the crowd, gave her a bat and let her go wild on a beater car that appeared on stage for Shut Up and Drive.

Rihanna's goth side came out - and by 'goth side' I mean she sang alongside dancers dressed as freaky, giant spiders - during the darker dancefloor anthem, Disturbia.

She nearly pulled off the rocker look during a pumped-up version of the single, Rockstar 101.

Slash she ain't - but she is way prettier and sure knows how to pose with a guitar. She can also rock a pair of shiny, black thigh-high boots like nobody's business.

While Rihanna had the luxury of an excellent band, they certainly didn't need to prop her up. Though sometimes a little sharp, Rihanna's vocals sounded crisp and clear during renditions of some of her biggest hits, including Rude Boy, Unfaithful, Stupid in Love and Don't Stop the Music.

"I'm having a dance party," exclaimed support act Ke$ha, just before she launched into the third song of her set, Dinosaur, a hilarious attack on pervy older men.

Clad in a silvery grey sleeveless top and sparkly hot pants, the Nashville electro-pop princess had already spent close to 10 minutes bouncing around the stage in an unrelenting display of manic energy.

Backed by two dancers and an equally animated band - some of whom looked like they'd been plucked from a 1985 Sigue Sigue Sputnik audition - Ke$ha obviously came to party and she was taking the crowd down with her.

Not that anyone was fighting against it. By the time Ke$ha finished off with her huge hit Tik Tok, the audience was screaming, singing and waving their hands in the air. At least waving the one hand that wasn't busy recording her performance on an iPhone.

Travie McCoy - also known as Gym Class Heroes frontman Travis McCoy - made the most of his short opening set.

A fun and upbeat personality, McCoy's on-stage energy was infectious.

McCoy's music is a mix of hip hop, funk, pop and rock. He's a bit sample-happy, but the tracks he chooses are cool and haven't been sampled a thousand times before.

We'll Be Alright, for example, employs the catchy 1995 Britpop anthem Alright by Supergrass to great effect.

And using Barrett Strong's version of Money (That's What I Want) to lead into his massive chart hit - the reggaefied Billionaire - was definitely a smooth move.

X-Fest, the annual alt-rock festival put on by Live Nation and Calgary radio station X92.9, returned to town Saturday for the first of two music-filled days.About 10,000 people turned up at Fort Calgary to take in a stacked lineup of artists, including Canadian hitmakers Arkells and Wintersleep, as well as hot Australian act Vance Joy and Lumineers.